"For me writing has become prayers that
say, `Great Spirit, return to us our
freedom, our land, and our lives. We are
thankful for the present from which we
learn how to be thankful for the past, and
how to be hopeful for the future."

--Barney Bush, SHAWNEE

We Native people have really been tested. This
testing is having our land taken from us, our
culture challenged, and our way of living
altered. Gratefully, we have not lost our
spirituality. Our spirituality has been the key for
our people making it through all of these tests.
Our prayers are strong. Indian people have
also been able to adjust to change and still
keep their culture and spirituality. Today, we
should be grateful to the Creator for the
present and for the lessons of the past. May
our future be guided by the Great Spirit.

Great Spirit,
thank You for
Mother Earth
and Father
Sky. Thank
You for my
life.